Food Banks Canada says employment insurance doesn’t serve modern workforce

The report says irregular hours, multiple jobs and contract work make qualifying for EI more difficult, even for those with consistent jobs.

That, in turn, excludes many workers who face greater income instability.

EI, a federal program that bridges the financial gap for workers who are between jobs, pays about 55 per cent of average insurable weekly earnings. That means someone with an annual income of $68,900 would receive a maximum of $729 in EI per week.

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement through her office Monday that her department was reviewing the Food Banks Canada report with an eye to strengthening the social safety net.

Hajdu’s office pointed to upcoming initiatives to support lower-income households, such as a top-up to the GST benefit, now the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. Payments worth half the value of the annual benefit will start going out to eligible recipients on Friday, while temporarily higher quarterly payments start next month.

The Food Banks Canada report highlighted the groceries benefit as one program offering “cautious optimism,” despite the challenge of food insecurity.

Hajdu’s office also touched on recent reforms to improve access to EI, but the statement focused on giving flexibility to workers in industries targeted by U.S. tariffs.

“Canada’s Government will continue to listen to Canadians and be responsive to their needs as we navigate uncertainty,” the statement read.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2026.

— written by Ritika Dubey in Toronto and Craig Lord in Ottawa

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Food Banks Canada says employment insurance doesn’t serve modern workforce

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